Path of Thorns
by Tiarina Tempest
Summary: Grace Hartford thinks she's normal. She's about to learn she's anything but. */*Finished*/*
1. Part 1

Title: Path of Thorns  
Author: Tiarina Tempest  
Email: tiarinatempest@hotmail.com   
Disclaimer: Night World belongs to LJS and is being used for fun and no other reason. The plot ideas and unrecognised characters belong to me.   
Spoilers: Night World.  
Rating: 15  
Summary: Grace Hartford thinks she's normal. She's about to learn she's anything but.   
Notes: feedback appreciated. (The Jacksonville town where this story is set is a fictional town.)  
  
Part 1  
  
As far as Grace Hartford was concerned she was a normal girl.   
  
She was a senior at Kaffee High in the small town of Jacksonville, Wisconsin. It was her last year before college, and then she could go out and explore the world. She was popular, had lots of friends, basically loved her life.   
  
Little did Grace know everything was about to change.  
* * *  
  
When Gavin Mitchell first arrived in the small town of Jacksonville he wasn't impressed. It was dull and boring with not a whole lot going on. Typical small town America.  
  
He missed big cities were there was always something going on. Lots of action. Now, here he was thrown into this. He sighed, glancing around as he headed down the high school hallways. All he had to do was get through this year.  
  
If he could survive up till the millennium, that was. He didn't know if all that prophecy nonsense was going to come up or not. But he'd rather be safe, than sorry, he supposed.  
  
As he found his locker a girl passing by caught his eye. Tall and slender, gorgeous with a waterfall of red hair cascading down her back. Bright green eyes and even from where he was he could sense a powerful personality.   
  
But that wasn't what it was that struck him about her. It was something...something he just couldn't quite put his finger on.  
  
~Who *are* you?~ he thought.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Have you seen the new guy?" Grace's best friend Phoebe asked as they headed into the cafeteria at lunch that day.  
  
Grace nodded. She'd been hearing from girls all morning that there was some gorgeous new guy just started. He had been in a few of her classes, and had spent most of that time making eyes at her.  
  
It was the common reaction Grace got from a lot of boys. Most of the time she put up with it, enjoying and thriving on the attention they gave her, but sometimes, it could just be annoying.   
  
"Yeah, I've seen him," she said as they made their way down the lunch line, Grace winced at the slop the cooks were trying to pass off as food. "He's been going gooey eyed at me all morning."  
  
Phoebe snorted. "Like *that*'s anything new."  
  
Grace smiled a little. If she didn't know better, she might say there was a slight touch of jealousy in her friend's voice. She glanced around as they paid, wondering if he was there. He was, standing in line.   
  
He was only fairly average height for a guy, not very muscular, but with sun-blond hair, and strange eyes. They almost seemed to reflect the light. His features were nicely chiselled, his smile friendly and easy.  
  
So why did he bother her so much? Grace hadn't actually been within ten feet from him for more than a few minutes, but whenever she was near him...there was something about him...something that sent shivers down her spine.   
  
"His name's Gavin Mitchell, he's from somewhere just outside of L.A., moved here last week," Phoebe was saying as they found a table and sat down. "And he's - Grace? Are you listening to me?"  
  
Grace blinked, pulled out of her musings. She glanced over at Phoebe. "Uh - yeah."  
  
Phoebe gave her a look that clearly said she knew Grace hadn't been paying her the slightest bit of attention. "What's wrong?"  
  
Grace shrugged uncomfortably. She didn't really know how to explain it. Surely she was just being paranoid. She had to be. "I don't know," she admitted. "Have you noticed..." she searched for a word..."something *weird* about this guy?"  
  
Phoebe stared at her as if she was insane. "You're nuts," she snorted.   
  
Grace wondered if Phoebe was right. She probably was. Gavin Mitchell was probably a perfectly nice person. So why did the thought of him send shivers down her spine?  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
It was past midnight, but Thierry Descouedres didn't feel like sleeping. He sat at his desk in his office, trying to think of something that would take his mind off the upcoming millennium battle.  
  
Unfortunately, he wasn't doing much of a job. It was December, and the final Wild Power had yet to be found. His spies in Night World hadn't come up with any decent leads on who the final Power might be.   
  
Which wasn't particularly inspiring. He kept telling himself not to give up, they had to just preserver. They'd find something soon. They weren't going to give up, having come so far.   
  
It all depended on what the Night World knew, and the race to see who would get there first. There was still another three weeks.  
  
But three weeks wasn't a long time really. Anything could happen in three weeks.  
  
Anything.   
  
* * *  
  
Marius Redfern was equally edgy. All that mattered to him was getting *one* Wild Power and making that person very dead, very fast. One was all they needed to win.  
  
Just one.  
  
So how come finding one person was becoming increasingly difficult? Considering all the resources he could get his hands on, not one person had come up with anything that would give conclusive information on where one of these damn people were.   
  
Marius sighed, staring into the fire crackling in the wood panelled fire place of his office. Taking over the Council was hard work, considering the disjointed position they'd been left in after that idiot Hunter had bought it.   
  
Now he had this business to worry about. Personally, he just wanted the millennium to come as soon as possible so this stupid Wild Power thing would be over and done with.   
  
Well, at least he had a plan to find the Fourth Wild Power. With any luck, if they could get to this person before those damned Daybreakers, they could kill the idiot, and win.   
  
All it required was a little ritual one of his favourite witches was going to perform.  
  
And a human sacrifice.   
  
* * * 


	2. Part 2

Part 2  
  
Alida Niteshade was in a very good mood as she sauntered into class the following morning. A ritual to perform, the discovery of a Wild Power, and someone to kill all at once. And getting paid a healthy sum of money on top of it all.   
  
"You're perky," her friend Kia Redfern said suspiciously. "Who are you and what have you done with Alida?"  
  
Alida tossed back her sable hair and glared, her red eyes flashing. "Shut up," she snorted, sitting down.  
  
"Get lucky last night?" her other friend Zoë Blackthorn asked with a curl of her dark lips.  
  
Alida snorted. "Well, if you call getting a new project involving being able to kill as well getting lucky, then the answer is yes," she answered.  
  
Zoë's eyes rolled. "Not exactly the "lucky" I was referring to," she snorted. "But what's this special project then?"  
  
"Marius has asked me to perform the ritual to find the last Wild Power." Alida smirked. "It requires a human sacrifice."  
  
"I thought it was forbidden for witches to kill," Kia pointed out dryly.   
  
Alida smiled innocently. "Well, I choose to ignore that irritating little rule." That was one of the perks of working with someone like Marius Redfern. She got away with all kinds of things normal witches, even Midnight witches would never get away with.  
  
Now, who to kill...what a hard decision to make. There were so many possibilities, so many people she disliked that deserved to snuff it horribly...  
  
Her eyes narrowed at that human bimbo Grace Somethingorother. That hot new guy Gavin had almost automatically latched onto her. Why a Night Person would show interest in a human was beyond her.  
  
No amount of flirting or eye batting would even make him turn his head. Which annoyed Alida greatly. Most boys never seemed to be able to take their eyes off her dark beauty, so how come she couldn't get the attention of this new guy, then?  
  
"Maybe he's not a Night Person," Zoë said in low tones, to avoid being overheard. "He's flirting with vermin, after all. No true Night Person would do that."  
  
"Unless he wants to hunt and kill her," Kia suggested with a lazy smile.   
  
That thought cheered Alida up. She had never liked the competition Grace presented her with. She had never liked Grace, period.   
  
"I think you've got your answer for whom to sacrifice," Zoë smirked.  
Alida chuckled cruelly. "I think you're right?"  
  
"What'd you want to do about the mysterious Gavin Mitchell, then?" Kia asked, ignoring the glares the lecturer was giving her.   
  
Alida frowned a little. "Watch him. Keep your eyes on him. If he might be a problem, we'll need to do something about him."  
  
It would be a pity if Gavin did turn out to be a liability. He was new, and she liked a challenge. She really didn't want to have to kill him as well.  
  
* * *  
  
Gavin frowned, noticing the stunning dark haired witch and her friends at the back of the classroom, deep in conversation most of the period. It was annoying, but no one seemed to be doing anything about it.   
  
They were all Night People, which might explain a few things. The witch kept trying to make eyes with him, and was getting very annoyed when he didn't seem to be paying any attention.   
  
From the witch's mannerisms, her cruel smirk as she eyed the people in the classroom, he became convinced she was up to something. What, he didn't know.  
  
Maybe it was just pure instincts, but he had been around enough evil Night People to know when they were plotting something that was probably illegal. He didn't even know the witch's name, for that matter..  
  
So how could he do anything about her?  
  
He decided to forget about her and focus his attention on the beautiful redhead he'd seen, Grace. She'd noticed him, at least, but hadn't actually spoken to him yet. If anything, she seemed to be avoiding him.   
  
Or maybe not. As he sat in the cafeteria he was a little surprised when Grace brought her tray over to the table he was sitting at and sat down. "You can stop making gooey eyes at me now," she said with a faint smile.   
  
Gavin almost flushed, embarrassed. Now she was actually *there*, sitting opposite him and smiling at him, he found he couldn't actually think of anything to *say*. "Sorry. Uh, hi, I'm Gavin Mitchell."  
  
Her own smile was dazzling. "Grace Hartford. Where abouts are you from? Obviously not around here. Around here sucks."  
  
Gavin smiled slightly. Well, he was actually from a Night World enclave, but as it was forbidden to tell humans, and he didn't want her to think he was insane, he said, "Small town just outside L.A."   
  
Grace's head tilted. "So why would you want to move *here*?"  
  
Gavin snorted. "I didn't actually get any sort of say in the arrangements where we moved to."  
  
Studying Grace, that sense he had got at a distance when he had first seen her was stronger than ever now. He couldn't put it into words. There was just something about her that was unearthly striking. It wasn't her good looks, it was...he didn't know what it was, but it was there.   
  
"Do I have something between my teeth?" Grace asked finally.   
  
Gavin realised he had been staring too long, and forced himself to actually look away. "No, not at all. It's just hard to stop staring at you."  
  
Grace smiled a little. He noticed how her eyes sparkled like sapphires when she smiled. He decided to leap on the opportunity he had been given with her here.   
  
"Listen, are you doing anything tonight?"  
  
Grace shook her head, finishing her sandwich. "Nope. Why?"  
  
"Want to go to a movie later?"  
  
"Sure sounds grate." The bell rang. "I gotta go. We'll talk later." With that she walked away, her steps light, as if she were floating on the air.   
  
Gavin stood up himself and headed to his next class. He'd just scored a date with the girl of his dreams. So why wasn't he happier? He should be. But for some reason he wasn't.   
  
He didn't know why, he just wasn't.  
  
* * *  
  
Alida scowled, trying to hold her fury in check. It was just so unfair! What did stupid human Gracie have that she didn't? She was a Night Person! She was powerful, beautiful, deadly. What more could any Night Person male want?  
  
Zoë's eyes were rolling as she noticed Alida scowling. "Didn't you say that this ritual of yours requires a human sacrifice?" she asked.   
  
Alida nodded. "Yeah. I think we all know who that sacrifice is going to be." It would be the easiest way to get rid of the problem of Grace, once and for all.   
  
She was already planning on where to do the ritual, preparing. It had to be done at midnight with the light of the full moon. That was tonight. But she knew that Grace would never willingly go anywhere with her, Kia or Zoë.   
  
Their dislike for Grace and her stupid Daybreak friend Phoebe, and all their other little vermin wannabes was no secret, as was their dislike for Alida and her Night People.   
  
As she sat in class, drumming her pencil on her notepad, she pondered the idea of how she was actually going to snatch the little vermin bitch in order to kill her. She couldn't send anyone there...  
  
~Kia~ she pathed, an idea finally coming to her mind. ~Get hold of Cal.~  
  
Cal Redfern was Kia's older brother. He was well known amongst the Night World as a vicious and cruel killer. Also very seductive with women. He'd be the perfect distraction.   
  
~Why?~ Kia complained. ~Cal's an asshole. He hates humans. The only thing he likes about human girls is killing them.~  
  
Alida frowned. She didn't want Cal killing Grace before she could. ~Tell him it's for a necessary Council ritual. I want this girl so I can kill her. *Not* him.~  
  
~All right~ Kia said reluctantly.  
  
Alida allowed herself a satisfied smirk. No Grace, no obsession for Gavin. What a convenient way for her to snatch him as well. This was one of those times when she just loved being her.   
  
* * * 


	3. Part 3

Part 3  
  
Cal Redfern disliked human environments, particularly human malls. He disliked being in them, and not being able to kill them all. If he'd had his way with the Council, the Night World would have taken over long before without waiting to bother with any of this stupid millennium business.  
  
He could see the girl he'd been sent after, little human vermin Grace. He didn't understand what Alida's obsessions with getting rid of the bitch were, but at least she was paying him to kidnap the girl.   
  
Too bad he couldn't kill her.   
  
He had to admit, if reluctantly, the girl was kind of cute for vermin. There was something wonderfully innocent about her. Maybe it was the waterfall of deep red hair, or the sapphire blue eyes.  
  
There was something else as well...something he just couldn't quite get his fingers on.   
  
Whatever. Figuring out who this girl's inner person was didn't mean a thing to him. All he had to do was get her to Alida, and Alida could kill her. End of story. Seemed simple enough.  
  
* * *  
  
As she and Phoebe wandered around the mall that afternoon Grace was getting the very uncomfortable sensation that she was being watched. It wasn't the usual glances she got - admiration, longing, desire, hatred, jealously...  
  
It was something else...and it was extremely disturbing that she didn't know what it was, or even who it was. Of course, every time she glanced over her shoulder, or looked around, there was no one there.   
  
"You are really losing it today," Phoebe snorted.   
  
Under other circumstances, Grace might have been insulted. But at the moment she wasn't, wondering if maybe Phoebe was right.   
  
"You got a date with a hot guy, what more could you want?" Phoebe went on.   
  
Grace shrugged. They'd come to the mall so she could find an outfit for that date. Grace was the type of person who had to have something new every time she went out. She never wore the same outfit more than once. She'd found something she liked, and, then...  
  
"Do you get the feeling we're being watched?" she asked Phoebe.  
  
Phoebe frowned, and looked over her shoulder. Her face contorted in shock and horror. And Grace thought *she* was the one going nuts. Grace tried to see what had frightened her friend.  
The guy Grace was staring at looked like he could be a typical sexy TV bad guy. Dark. Sexy. Mysterious. How come Phoebe was so afraid of him?  
  
"Pheebs?" she asked doubtfully.  
  
Phoebe tugged on her arm. "We have to go, like, *now*."   
  
Grace pulled her arm away. The guy was giving them a very strange look. She couldn't blame him really, considering the way Phoebe was acting. "No," she said, annoyed.  
  
"Whatever. It's your ass." And with that Phoebe was gone.   
  
Grace was left alone. She glanced at the strange guy. Who *was* he?  
  
* * *  
  
Grace sighed, sitting alone in the food court, playing with the straw in her Burger King cup. Phoebe had run off, leaving her. She had stood her ground, not running because some creepy guy had showed up.   
  
And now the creepy guy was walking over to her table and sitting down.  
  
Grace studied him, head tilted to one side. "How come you made my friend run?" she asked rather bluntly.   
  
The guy chuckled a little, his tone dry. "I was going to ask you the same thing."  
  
Grace was confused. "I figured you two knew each other. Maybe you went out and broke up, and she's miffed?"  
  
The guy shook his head. He smiled again. He may be kind of weird and really creepy. But he did have an incredibly sexy smile. "Nope, I never saw her before now. Besides, I'd rather go out with *you*." He gave her another of those sexy smiles. "I'm Cal Redfern."  
  
"Grace Hartford. Maybe we can do something about *that*." She smiled a little. She was really having a run of luck with gorgeous guys today. First Gavin and now Cal. It wasn't like she'd made any sort of firm commitment to Gavin, they were just going to a movie. "How about tomorrow?"  
  
Cal looked at her. "What's wrong with tonight?"  
  
Grace frowned a little. "I have plans."  
  
"How bout a late movie or something?" he suggested.  
  
Grace didn't answer. Movies? Did boys ever come up with anything else for first dates? Still, she couldn't really complain, she supposed.  
Why not? She'd prove to Phoebe there was nothing wrong with this guy. So why at the thought of that were shivers running down her spine? ~Thanks a lot, Pheebs,~ she thought.   
  
Well, if it turned out Cal *was* a jerk, she'd focus on Gavin. She'd just make her mind up tomorrow. She smiled at Cal. "Come pick me up at eleven," she told him. She grabbed a pen from her purse and scribbled her address and phone number down on a napkin.   
  
Cal nodded. "Great. See you then."  
  
As Grace left she was beginning to wonder if she'd just made a big mistake.  
  
* * *  
  
  
Gavin wondered what Alida Harman's problem was. She'd been flirting with him non-stop ever since he arrived, she'd tried to be subtle about it at first, only when she'd seen him eyeing Grace she'd given up with subtly. He knew she was up to something.  
  
The way she kept glaring at Grace, every time she walked by, was totally unnatural and wrong. It sent shivers up his spine, telling him something was wrong. She was plotting something.  
  
Obviously Grace was too focused on it and completely oblivious to any sort of back street plot against her. Still, maybe she wasn't as much of an airhead as she seemed. Maybe she *did* know.  
  
But it was her airhead attitude, her bright and bouncy personality that made her so appealing and attractive to him. He didn't want to draw her into the darkness of psycho Night World witches.   
  
Still, he had to make sure she was alright. If he saw her and could talk to her for a few minutes, he'd be alright. He didn't understand where this desperate urge came from, but he didn't care.  
  
He had heard her arranging to go to the mall with her friend Phoebe, and with any luck, he thought as he raced over there, she might still be there. The mall was a large place, full of bustling people.   
  
Strange he seemed to be able to know exactly where to find Grace. When he arrived at the food court he stopped dead, not happy to see the dark haired vampire she was talking to.  
  
The infamous monster Cal Redfern. He'd heard of Cal's reputation, and if he was flirting with Grace it meant only one thing: Grace was as good as dead. All his suspicions that Alida and her cronies were plotting something evil with Grace as the victim were confirmed.   
  
He waited impatiently for Cal to go away before striding over to the table where Grace was sitting. "What the hell are you doing with a bastard like Cal Redfern?" he demanded bluntly.   
  
Grace stared at him, surprised at his sudden out burst. She frowned a little. "We were just talking. I was with Phoebe earlier, she saw him and ran off."  
  
Gavin sat down, frowning. Phoebe must be a Night Person. She must have recognised Cal as well. "Can't blame her," he muttered sourly.   
  
Grace was slightly annoyed. "What's wrong with Cal?" she asked. "He seems like an okay guy."  
  
Gavin snorted in utter contempt. That was what most people thought, and then found out they were very, very wrong. Of course, all he'd heard was rumours of Cal's reputation, he could turn out to be completely wrong, It seemed highly unlikely. "Listen just stay away from him, okay? Cal Redfern is dangerous. He can't be trusted."  
  
Grace looked at him for a few moments, then nodded, her confused expression clearing. "Okay," she said. "Listen, about tonight. The movie I want to see starts at 6, so I'll meet you at the theatre, all right?" She smiled at him brightly. "See you then." She waved and walked away.  
  
Gavin sighed, wondering what it was about her. It was more than just a bright personality that drew him to her. All he knew was he wanted to keep her safe and protected from Alida and Cal.  
  
He would die to protect her if that became necessary.  
  
* * * 


	4. Part 4

Part 4  
  
Alida waited patiently for Cal to come and report he had some good news to tell her. She had been busy all afternoon, setting up the requirements for the ritual. She had everything ready - apart from one thing.  
  
Her human sacrifice.   
  
The spell itself couldn't be done until midnight, but she was impatient. She wanted everything to go smoothly. She wasn't exactly in a very good mood, and felt like killing someone.   
  
Hopefully, Cal would deliver the girl whose fault this all was. Maybe it was petty, but Alida didn't care. If Gavin wasn't so stupid or Grace was dead none of this would be happening.   
  
"Look at the bright side," Kia offered as she came into the room. "After midnight, all problems will be over."  
  
Alida snorted. That was easy for her to say. She wasn't the one who had to perform the damn spell. And without human sacrifice it wouldn't work. "I don't know if I can wait that long," she muttered crossly, sitting on a couch with a high carved back.  
  
"Relax," Cal said smugly as he sauntered in. "You only have to wait until eleven."  
  
Zoë snorted. "Somehow, that's not surprisingly convenient."  
  
The human sacrifice was the last part of the ritual. It had to be done during the full moon at exactly midnight.   
  
Cal glared. "Shut up," he snapped. He turned his glare on Alida. "Just remember, when you find out who the Wild Power is that *I* brought you your victim."  
  
Alida frowned. "Why?"  
  
Cal met her eyes directly. "When the time comes, you'll know." And with that he walked away.  
  
Alida shrugged. Whatever. Let Cal be an asshole if he wanted to be. She was going to get to kill Grace, and discover a Wild Power at the same time. It looked as if it was going to be a very good night.  
  
"Providing nothing goes wrong," Kia added absently.   
  
Alida glared at her. "Nothing is going to go wrong," she snapped.   
  
* * *  
  
With every passing minute Gavin was becoming more and more convinced Grace Hartford wasn't as normal as she seemed. There was more than *something* about her.   
  
He didn't know what it was, but had a few ideas. She seemed almost *too* human to be a Night Person, but he could always be wrong. That was a Night Person's speciality, blending in with the human crowd around them.  
  
Maybe it was right in front of his face and he hadn't been able to see it. There were always ways he could find out whether or not he was right. When he got home he made sure no one was around and could overhear before he called his Circle Daybreak contact, Twilight witch Carina Lupine.   
  
"What is it, Gavin?" She sounded rather tired and frustrated.  
  
Gavin felt almost guilty. He'd had hunches like this about gorgeous girls before, and they always turned out to be dead ends. But this time he felt absolutely certain Grace was more than she seemed. "I need you to do a background check on someone for me. Her name's Grace Hartford. I think she might be a Night Person."  
  
Carina sighed. "Are you *sure* this time? Cause we're rather busy, you know? The whole up coming end-of-the-world thing?"  
  
Gavin frowned a little. He was well aware of the Wild Power issues as everyone was. But that didn't mean there weren't other people with problems. "There are other things to deal with as well," he pointed out, rather icily. "If I didn't think this was important, I wouldn't ask you, would I?"  
  
He heard Carina sigh and mutter under her breath. "All right, all right, I'll look into it. I'll call you back as soon as I have anything."  
  
"Leave a message on my cell phone." He hung up, wandering to the window. Only two hours before he had to go and meet Grace. He hoped Carina would have something for him by then.  
  
Whatever it was, he realised with a sinking feeling, he doubted he - or Grace - would like it that much.   
  
* * *  
  
When Grace got home she decided to call Phoebe, maybe talk some sense into her. She still couldn't understand why Phoebe had freaked. Cal didn't seem that bad. Gavin said he was dangerous, but then again, Gavin was probably just jealous.   
  
"Why'd you freak this afternoon?" she asked when Phoebe answered the phone.   
  
Phoebe was silent for a minute, trying to think up a suitable excuse. "I don't like that guy we ran into," she said finally. "He's dangerous and evil."  
  
Grace felt her eyebrow raise. Evil? What was the matter with these two? Did they know something about Cal that she didn't, and maybe should?   
  
"What did you do when I left?" Phoebe asked.   
  
"I went to the food court, that *guy*, whose name is Cal Redfern, came over and talked to me, and we're going to a late movie tonight." She tried to keep the smugness out of her voice.   
  
"You're going out with Cal Redfern?" Phoebe's voice was more shocked than jealous. "Are you insane?"  
  
Grace frowned at the phone. *What* was the big deal? Why was everyone so scared of this guy? Just because they'd heard of his reputation. That didn't necessarily mean he was really like that.   
  
"I thought you liked Gavin, anyway," Phoebe added.  
  
Grace just smiled. "Well, once I've been out with both of them I'll make my mind up."  
  
"You're nuts," Phoebe snorted. "If you survive Cal Redfern I'll talk to you tomorrow." And she hung up.   
  
Grace sighed and put the phone back in its cradle. She shook her head and went to raid her wardrobe for the first of her dates that night. As she began going through the process of choosing the perfect outfit a strange shudder ran through her.   
  
Something deep inside her was telling her this night was going to be like nothing she'd ever experienced.  
  
* * * 


	5. Part 5

Part 5  
  
Alida smirked. Everything for the ritual was ready. Zoë was finishing lighting the candles.  
  
"So this is it," Kia said, sitting on a wooden chair in the large stone basement.   
  
"All we need now is our sacrifice," Alida said.   
  
It was just a matter of waiting until Cal brought the girl so they could kill her.  
  
* * *  
  
Gavin tapped his foot impatiently as he stood outside the movie theatre at the mal, waiting for Grace to show up. The movie had already started. It was past 6. He was starting to worry.  
  
Had Cal already killed her? Had something else happened? She could be in danger, needing him, and he was stuck here. Maybe he should call her house again. He'd called three times since he'd been waiting, only to be told Grace had left the house to go meet a friend.  
  
"Hey! Sorry I'm late, got held up."  
  
Gavin felt a rush of relief run through him when he saw Grace finally running up the steps, smiling at him brightly. He eyed her suspiciously, but didn't pry. He wondered what was up. There was something she wasn't telling him.   
  
"The movie's started already," he said as he bought tickets.   
  
Grace shrugged. "Too bad. Let's go." She dragged him into the dark theatre without even giving him the chance to by snacks or anything. He wondered if Circle Daybreak had found anything about her yet.   
  
He hadn't realised just how keyed up he was. He wondered if Grace had noticed there was something up. He didn't want to tell her anything that might worry her. If it turned out she *was* a Night Person, and totally freaked, it could have drastic consequences.   
  
* * *  
  
Grace felt guilty for desperately wishing the movie would be over so she could go and meet Cal. He wasn't coming until ten thirty, so that gave her plenty of time. Something was bugging Gavin and he was being weird and distant about it.   
  
She had thought she would be safe with him. On her way over, she had gotten the very uncomfortable sensation that she was being followed. Of course, whenever she turned to look, there was no one there, but the feeling was still creepy.   
  
She tried not to look too relieved when the movie was over. They went back into the lobby. She frowned a little, noticing Gavin's expression. "What?" she asked. She noticed where he was looking. Alida's friends Zoë and Kia were hanging around by the refreshment bar.  
  
"I think we should go," he said, pulling her outside.   
  
"I guess, I'll see you tomorrow." She hurried off before he could stop her. As she walked home again the feeling of being watched slid back over her. This was getting really weird.   
  
* * *  
  
  
Cal wasn't particularly looking forward to the date part of the evening. He despised being nice, even if at the end he got to watch Alida kill the girl. All he had to do was get her over there in time to be sacrificed.  
  
That was the main goal. Grace was already waiting outside the house. Gavin checked his watch. It was eleven exactly. One hour to go. Not enough time to waste at a movie, he'd have to think of something else.  
  
She was dressed in dark jeans and a black top with a sparkly design, hair flowing to her shoulders, eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness. If she hadn't been human, he might have considered being interested in her.   
  
He forced himself to smile. "Ready to go?" he asked.  
  
Grace nodded, getting in the car. "Just about."  
  
Cal smiled without humour. "Let's go then."  
  
* * *  
  
When Gavin got home the answering machine was bleeping. This was it. The information from Circle Daybreak.  
  
"Hi, Gavin? It's Carina. Listen, it seems the girl you thought was a Night Person - actually is - surprise, surprise - a Night Person. For once you get lucky. She comes from a line of lost witches through her mother's side. That's all we know. Tell her, see what she thinks. We've got permission from The Powers That Be to tell her, and if she likes the idea of Circle Daybreak, then she can join." Carina hung up.  
  
Gavin deleted the message. At least he didn't think his parents had heard it. He headed into his room, trying to think. So Grace was a lost witch. That wasn't exactly a surprise. Yet he was still convinced it was more than that. Maybe her friend Phoebe knew something. Phoebe was a Night Person.  
  
He found her number in the phone book. She sounded surprised to hear from him. "Did you know Grace is a lost witch?" he asked.   
  
Phoebe was silent for a minute. "I knew there was something - different - about her. I thought she was just another airhead, but..." She trailed off. "I thought you guys were supposed to be going out tonight."  
  
Gavin frowned. "Well, she couldn't wait to leave. I saw her at the mall with Cal Redfern earlier, and I'm thinking it can't be a coincidence."  
  
Phoebe was silent for a minute. "She was going out with you first then him later, Alida's been giving her the evil eye ever since you arrived and started going all gooey eyed at Grace...."  
  
Gavin cursed under his breath. He'd known from the first sighting that Cal fucking Redfern was up to no good. Of course Grace would be attracted to the dark, mysterious bad boy. "We have to save her!"  
  
"If you were Cal and Alida, and you were going to kill a stupid empty headed witch who doesn't know she's a witch, where would you go?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Gavin was silent for a few minutes. "I know." He hung up and was on his way.  
  
* * *  
  
  
Grace wondered what was wrong with Cal. He wasn't driving in the direction of the movie theatre at the mall. She didn't know of any other ones near by. She had kept quite, noticing his mood was somewhat...scary.  
  
Now she was starting to see why Gavin and Phoebe had been warning her against him. "Um, I thought we were going to the movies," she said finally, unable to keep quiet any longer. She liked talk and noise and this silence was a little too much for her.  
  
"I thought we'd go somewhere better," Cal said with a smug smirk on his handsome face. "Just a little further."  
  
Grace frowned and nodded, wishing she wasn't so trusting ~Or empty headed~ her mind sneered at her. ~You always just willingly jump the bones of every hot guy who comes along without even thinking to look deeper than the surface, but then again, isn't that how most boys view you?~  
  
Grace chose to ignore the voice, and the truth of its harsh words. It didn't matter. So what if she was flirty and bubbly? It was better than being dull and uninteresting,   
  
Grace stared out the window, wondering where they were going. She didn't like the endless rows of tall trees either side, seeming to block them in, the only light being the headlamps of Cal's car. She thought she could see an old-looking house somewhere in the up-coming distance.  
  
"What's so great about *that* place?" she asked, annoyed as Cal parked the car in the driveway. Grace almost refused to get out of the car. Cal opened her door, not moving until she got out. Shivers were running up and down her spine despite the warm night.   
  
"Wait until we're inside," Cal said reassuringly.  
  
Grace hesitated. "I think you'd better take me home." Why hadn't she listened to Phoebe? She should have stuck with Gavin instead of wanting the mysterious bad boy. Gavin, at least, was more reasonable, and nicer.  
  
Cal grabbed her arm and dragged her into the house. Grace was too weak to pull away. His grip was like clamps. She tugged pointlessly, but he wouldn't let go. "What's the *matter* with you?" she shrieked.  
  
Cal marched her into a large room. There was something that looked like a Satanic ritual set up. When he finally let go of her arm she turned to run, only to find herself facing Alida, Zoë and Kia. "What's going on?" she demanded, stopping.  
  
Alida's smile matched Cal's. "Well, you're going to die, is one thing."  
  
* * * 


	6. Part 6

Part 6  
  
Gavin already knew he was too late when he and Phoebe arrived at Grace's house. There was no one home when he rang the doorbell.   
  
He dreaded having to think up an explanation for this visit for Grace's parents, but luckily they didn't seem to be home.  
  
Phoebe used a magic spell to open the door and they went inside. The house was dark, only a few lights left on.   
  
They found a note in the kitchen saying Grace had gone on another date and would be back late.  
  
"They're not going to the movies," Phoebe said flatly.   
  
"You think?" Gavin snapped. "I warned her about Cal Redfern. I *told* her he was bad news. But she wouldn't listen."  
  
He should have made his point more clearly, should have shown her some files on the things that Cal had done and maybe she'd have *listened*...  
  
Phoebe snorted dismissively. "I tried to tell her Cal was bad news too. But all Grace sees is a hot guy who wants to take her out. She's not very bright when it comes to thinks like that." Phoebe's eyes rolled.  
  
Gavin frowned, not liking the idea that Phoebe was reading his thoughts. As far as he knew, witches couldn't do that. "How did you..."  
  
Phoebe shrugged. "It's written all over your face." She paced around the kitchen. "I thought you said you knew where they were going."   
  
Gavin *did* know, or at least had a pretty good idea anyway. He'd been hoping they could catch Grace before she left. He knew he wouldn't be able to do this on his own, and had been forced to ask Phoebe for help.  
  
He didn't want to be right about what he was thinking. But why else would someone like Cal Redfern be flirting with an airhead human like Grace if he didn't have some despicable plan behind it all.  
  
Grace actually *meant* something to him. He was also pretty sure she wouldn't be able to handle the truth about the Night World very well. He could protect her...  
  
"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Phoebe said, stopping pacing and turning to look at him.   
  
Gavin sighed heavily. "Completely. I can't bare the thought of anything happening to her." Grace was too beautiful, too innocent to be corrupted by something dark and sinister like the Night World.  
  
"If you know where she is, why are we still standing around? You're stalling."  
  
The longer Gavin stalled, the more Grace's life was at risk. His eyes narrowed in determination. "Let's go save her."  
  
* * *  
  
Grace groaned, waking up to find herself tied to some sort of alter. She looked around, seeing figured in dark robes, chanting in a language she didn't understand.  
  
If only she'd listened to Phoebe and Gavin, if only she'd decided she liked the nice boy instead of the good looking, dangerous one...she'd thought all of this before, but was too empty headed to think of anything else.  
  
She struggled with the bonds tying her to the alter. Cal stood to one side, holding a candelabra, illuminating his handsome face, his eyes twinkling darkly in the candle light. She shuddered as he smiled at her.  
  
"HELP!" she screamed. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"   
  
"Oh knock it off," Zoë snorted.  
  
Grace couldn't tell which one of the robed figures was which, she guessed the one with the extremely large knife was Alida. Tears fell down her cheeks. What had she ever done to deserve up in some insane ritual?  
  
She knew if she continued screaming no one would hear. They were so far out of town. Hence the reason they'd chosen here to commit their murder.  
  
"Why do you want to kill me?" she whined uselessly.   
  
"The ritual requires a human sacrifice," Alida's smug voice said from under her mask. "And we don't like you very much."  
  
"That's no reason to kill me!" Grace protested, continuing to struggle. How come people on TV always seemed to manage to be able to get out of ropes when they needed to? "I don't like you guys but I don't go around trying to kill you!"  
  
That brought a torrent of cruel snickering from Zoë and Kia. They seemed to think the image of Grace sneaking around in dark robes with a huge knife to kill them with was very amusing.  
  
It wasn't all that funny to Grace. *They* weren't the ones tied to the alter about to be sacrificed. She remembered how Gavin had kept staring at her dreamy when he'd first arrived.  
  
How angry he'd been when he'd seen her with Cal. Phoebe was smart, considering how much she disliked Cal she and Gavin could work together and figure out what was going on and come and save her.  
  
Couldn't they?  
  
* * *  
  
Gavin and Phoebe arrived at the mansion on the outskirts of the small town. Gavin wondered how anyone could actually live there. The place looked awful and in desperate need of repair.  
  
But he couldn't let himself be distracted by anything like that. Grace was inside. And he had to get her out.  
  
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"  
  
As he got out his car he heard the faint scream, the desperate cry for someone, anyone to come and help her.   
  
"Well at least we know she's still alive," Phoebe said, trying to sound reassuring. Gavin frowned, noticing other headlights starting to approach the house. Phoebe had called for some extra help.  
  
They were surrounding the mansion as he and Phoebe headed inside. He would have thought more of them, expecting them to have at least one werewolf guarding the place.  
  
Maybe they thought because the old mansion was so far out the way then no one would be able to find them, or hear Grace screaming. He wasn't going to let her scream anymore. He was going to get her out.  
  
No matter what.  
  
* * * 


	7. Part 7

Part 7  
  
  
Alida couldn't keep the smug grin from off her face. So far everything was going just as she had planned it. She'd recited all the incantations she'd learned carefully, not wanting to mess up and make any stupid mistakes that would destroy everything they'd worked so hard for.  
  
Grace was still whining, struggling pointlessly. She was never going to get out of there. Alida's favourite part was coming up. She lifted the ritual sword-like dagger as she prepared to make the sacrifice.  
  
* * *  
  
It was no use. No matter how hard she struggled or how loud she screamed, it was finally starting to sink in that Grace wasn't going to be able to get herself free.  
  
Her eyes widened in shock and fear at the site of the huge knife Alida held poised above her heart, ready to strike.  
  
Yellow light suddenly flitted across her vision from behind the covered windows. Headlights. Someone was coming!  
  
"IN HERE! SOMEONE GET HERE QUICK! SHE'S GOT A KNIFE! SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME! SOMEONE SAVE ME!" Grace shrieked at the top of her lungs.  
  
She could feel an unusual heat welling up deep inside her. The strange feeling was overcoming her fear, giving her the strength to wrestle with the ropes binding her.  
  
She screamed in agony as Alida plunged the knife downwards. She expected to see blackness spreading before her eyes, but instead, all she saw was blue.  
  
An endless stream of bright blue stream going upwards, like something from a movie. She doubted this was the result that Alida had been thinking of.  
  
How did she stop this thing? She didn't know - oh. It was gone. She was free. And wasn't dead. Gavin and Phoebe were in the room, as well as a group of people she didn't know.  
  
Alida was gone, so were Cal, Zoë and Kia. The others were all looking a Grace in utter awe and amazement.   
  
"Um...what was that?" Grace asked, feeling very small and incredibly stupid.   
  
"It's you," Gavin said, coming towards her. "You're the Wild Power."  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't believe we still managed to get out of there alive!" Cal snorted as he drove away from the mansion and back into town.  
  
Alida couldn't believe that after all that trouble they had come to that of all people, stupid bimbo *Grace* was actually the Wild Power! She was far too stupid to know how to handle such magic!  
  
"After all that! She raged. She hadn't even been able to kill the little bitch. If she had, then the Daybreaker's chances of saving the human world would have been lost. Four less one, the prophecy said.   
  
"Don't panic," Cal said.  
  
Don't panic, yeah right, Alida thought with disgust, wondering how he could be so fucking calm about the whole thing. They'd just lost! And if they didn't figure out a way to salvage the situation, then they would both be dead.  
  
"Get a grip," Cal snorted. "It isn't over yet."  
  
* * *  
Grace agreed to go back to Phoebe's house with her and Gavin. They weren't exactly sure if all the Night People were dead. Grace still didn't understand what was going on.  
  
Where had she found the courage or even the ability to do that magic blast that had saved her life? She'd never done anything like that before.  
  
"You two said you'd tell me everything once we were here," she said, once they were all sat in Phoebe's bedroom. Their other friends were still downstairs, guarding the house. "Well we're here."  
  
Phoebe sighed, and started to talk. Grace listened in awe as she described the underground organisation called Night World, a secret society of vampires, witches and shapeshifters that had existed amongst the humans for thousands of years without being detected. How they hard learned her family was descended from a long line of lost witches.  
  
"And what about that magic blasty thing I did?" Grace asked. "Is that a witch thing?"  
  
Phoebe shook her head. "That's a Wild Power thing. Only the Wild Powers have blue fire."  
  
"At the moment there's a crisis going on between the Night World and Circle Daybreak (basically the same as the Night World, only we let in humans and anyone who wants to stop the violence between the sides, the good guys). Prophecies have been found telling us that the human world is about to end at the millennium. Four special people, Wild Powers, will save it."  
  
Grace listened as she recited the prophecies.   
  
"In blood the final price is paid  
In blue fire the final darkness is banished"  
  
"Four to stand between the light and dark  
Four of the Blue Fire, power in the blood  
Born in the year of the Blind maiden's vision  
Four less one and the darkness triumphs"  
  
"One from the land of kings long forgotten  
One from the hearth who still holds the spark  
One from the day world where two eyes are watching  
One from the twilight to be with the dark."  
  
"And considering we've found the other three, and they're all willing to fight for the human world, then you must be the last," Gavin said, patting Grace's hand.  
  
Grace frowned. Twilight to be with the dark. That didn't sound particularly encouraging to her. She had never really been all that fond of the dark. She lighted brightness and light.  
  
"So I'm one of these powers, what happens next?" she asked. She realised now that her life would never be the same again. She would never be a normal high school kid. Everything would be different.  
  
"Well, you'll have to be protected by Circle Daybreak," Gavin explained. "They'll look after your family as well, and train you to use your power for when the millennium battle comes."  
  
Grace winced at the thought of a battle. One of the main reasons she hated history was having to look at gory battle pictures. She doubted she be much of a fighter.  
  
But that shouldn't matter if she had this new power that only three other people had. So she'd be okay. At least, she hoped she would.  
  
"Okay, okay, but I want to go home and get some stuff together before I go off to this safe house."  
  
Gavin and Phoebe exchanged glances. She waited patiently while Phoebe made a few phone calls. In a fifteen minutes or so they were on their way to her house.  
  
Alida and her friends had all perished in that magic blast she had done. It evaporated evil, that was what Gavin told her.  
  
So how come she was getting a bad feeling, that was steadily getting worse?  
  
* * *  
  
Cal tossed the body down the basement steps along with the other. Idiot humans. They were always so trusting. Her parents had actually believed he was Grace's boyfriend. They'd simply thought he was brining Grace home after their 'date'.  
  
~Some date~ he thought sourly. She hadn't even hardly bled. He found himself pleased they hadn't had to hold her hostage for long. She would have driven him up the wall.  
  
She would probably go somewhere with her friends so they could explain the whole Wild Power business to her, then, she should be coming home to pack before going off to a Daybreak safe house.  
  
He waited in her room. She would be here sometime soon.  
  
* * *  
  
Grace arrived home a little after one thirty. There were no lights on. Her parents weren't home yet? She wondered where they'd gone. She didn't recall them telling her they were going to be out all night. Maybe they'd met up with friends or something.  
  
  
She headed upstairs, the uncomfortable feeling she'd had ever since she'd left Phoebe's house as bad as it had ever been. Her inner voices were screaming at her something was wrong.  
  
Everything looked reasonably normal to her.  
  
Until she opened her door, switched on her light and saw Cal Redfern sitting on her bed.  
  
"Why are you here?" she asked, confused. "Shouldn't you be dead?"  
  
"Nice to see you too," Cal said, standing up. Grace started to move to the dresser, where her phone was. Maybe she could call the police.  
  
Cal darted in front of her, grabbed the phone and yanked the wire out the socket. He slammed the door shut, blocking the entrance. Wooden stakes killed vampires, right? Too bad she didn't have one...  
  
He'd failed to kill her once, and was going to try again. How did she actually use the blue fire? Last time she had been terrified and Alida had stabbed her...  
  
She wasn't exactly unafraid as Cal grabbed her shoulders. She looked around, but in her bedroom there wasn't hardly any room to run anywhere. She tried darting to one side, then throwing herself the other way to distract Cal and get to the door.  
  
Only it didn't work.  
  
Cal grabbed her bare shoulders, laughing at her in disgust. The minute his bare hands touched her skin, everything went even weirder.  
  
* * * 


	8. Part 8

Part 8  
  
What the hell was the matter with this stupid girl? Did she have absolutely no brains in her head? Cal found it extremely amusing, watching her try to throw him off course. It was kind of *obvious* she was going to try and do that.  
  
But what wasn't obvious, or at least not to him, anyway, was the sudden change of atmosphere when he grabbed her bare shoulders. He felt as if his nerves had been fried, like he was being electrocuted.  
  
His vision was clouded with a haze of pink. He pushed her away, trying to clear his mind. Grace landed on the floor in a heap, looking at him in confusion.  
  
"I'm tired of not knowing what the hell's going on," she said pathetically.  
  
"I'll make it easier for you," he said through gritted teeth. He tried to reach for her again. Same deal. The pink haze surrounded him, seeming oddly, to tell him to touch her, he wanted this, and so did she...  
  
Grace wasn't struggling anymore. She was looking at him in awe and fascination. Cal shook his head stupidly, not knowing what else to do. He was totally out of his league.  
  
He was even more surprised when Grace actually *kissed* him, and when she did, the painful pink light faded. It became white and silvery, and almost enjoyable.  
  
For the moment, he let himself just enjoy it.  
  
* * *  
  
Gavin was tired of pacing up and down. Grace should have gotten her things together by now. She seemed to be taking all this sudden news quite well. Maybe she wasn't as dense as she seemed to appear to be.  
  
He had known there was something special about her from the first minute he'd laid eyes on her. He'd never imaged she could be the last Wild Power.  
  
But that was good, right? Circle Daybreak had all four of them now. They'd won. The millennium wasn't for another month yet. A month wasn't that long. And then it'd all be over.  
  
"She's been gone too long," Phoebe said. "Why don't you go check on her?"  
  
Gavin nodded and headed up the stairs, not liking the tingling sensation at the back of his neck that didn't want to go away. He pushed open Grace's door and stared in shocked horror at the ghastly sight that met his eyes.  
  
Grace was making out with *Cal?*  
  
"What the hell is going on?" he shouted, outraged. How the hell had Cal gotten in here without any of them noticing? Unless he was already in and had been planning on killing Grace...  
  
Grace broke off her kiss with Cal, and turned to look at him. Her cheeks were flushed with colour. She looked surprised. "If I knew, I'd tell you." She turned back to look at Cal, who just shrugged helplessly.  
  
"This isn't fair," Cal whined.   
  
"What was that?" Grace asked. She was looking at him with an almost awed expression. Gavin didn't understand it. Cal was evil! What could she possibly see in him now she knew the truth? "That other weird...lighty thing?" She looked a little disappointed that she couldn't think of a better word to describe whatever had happened.  
  
"What lighty thing?" Gavin asked.  
  
"At first it started off pink like an electric shock, and then we kissed, and it changed, and was white...and...nice...and dreamy..." Grace sighed.  
  
Cal wasn't saying anything. He clearly wasn't impressed by what had happened. Gavin wasn't either. It just...he should have known. He had always secretly thought that it would be him. He would be the one. But he wasn't. Cal was. "It's the soulmate principle," Cal said sourly. "Some mushy Daybreak thing about finding your one true love."  
  
"And that's...us?" Grace asked, wrapping her arm through his and pulling him close. "Why is that so bad?"  
  
Gavin turned and glanced in the doorway to see Alida standing there looking shocked and disgusted, with the large knife in her hand.   
  
"That's why," Gavin said.  
  
* * *  
  
Alida didn't understand it. Everything was going completely wrong. And now...this was just the last straw. She'd come up to see what was taking so long, after sneaking past the stupid Daybreakers downstairs, only to hear Grace and Cal talking about soulmates.  
  
Why hadn't she guessed? She'd just assumed if it struck then it would be Gavin. Apparently not.   
  
"We've got a problem," the other girl, Phoebe was hurrying into the room. "We've just found two bodies in the basement and Alida - " She broke off.  
  
"Is standing right here," Alida snapped. She glared furiously at Cal. "Why isn't she dead yet?"  
  
"Something went wrong," Cal said unhelpfully, glaring at Grace.  
  
Grace flushed. "That soulmate connection wasn't my fault!" she whined.  
  
"Yes it was! If you hadn't been born we wouldn't be here!" Cal snapped.  
  
Grace was insulted. Alida smiled. Cal was actually right there. Then again, if grace wasn't the Wild Power, it would be someone else, probably just as stupid.  
  
"Great," Phoebe snorted. "*Now* what?"  
  
In a flash of movement Alida darted forward, grabbing Grace and pressing the knife she had managed to grab before getting out of the old mansion against her throat. "Well, airhead here, if she really *is* the Wild Power, can use her blue fire to save you before I kill you all. You've got two minutes."  
  
* * *  
  
Apart from being tired of not having any idea what the hell was going on, Grace was also tired of being taken hostage and held at knife point. Her panic was starting to rise again. She didn't *know* how to use the blue fire, it had just happened.  
  
She hadn't been calling on any sort of...whatever it was that gave witches power to help them.  
  
She tried to think of the prophecies Phoebe had told er about the Wild Powers. She recalled something about blood... In blood the final price is paid...  
  
"One minute," Alida said cheerfully. She sounded too smug for Grace's liking. One of those people who were sure they were going to win, no matter what.  
  
She threw herself backwards, knocking into Alida, crying out as she felt the knife digging into the soft flesh of her neck. For the second time that evening she was overwhelmed by a flood of head, and a flash of blue, obscuring her vision. When she could see again, Alida was gone. She was safe.  
* * * 


	9. Part 9

Epilogue   
  
Two weeks later she, Cal, Gavin and Phoebe were in a Daybreak safe-house together, and would stay there until Grace was called for the battle.   
  
Cal was most reluctant to accept his sudden change, but no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he had finally come to terms with his soulmate connection with Grace.  
  
Grace was finally starting to learn how to use her magic, and how to control her blue fire. Phoebe had been teaching her how to use the basic witch magic, no one really knew much about the blue fire.  
  
In another week or so Grace would be called up to the Circle Daybreak headquarters in Las Vegas and meet the other Wild Powers, someone there would try to help them use their blue fire.  
  
Gavin had been teaching her some basic fighting skills to protect herself. She could tell he was more than a little disappointed that she'd discovered her soulmate connection with Cal rather than him. She felt kind of bad about that, she'd loved him in an odd sort of way. At least he wasn't being an asshole about it, and was still happy to be her friend.  
  
As long as nothing went wrong in the next two weeks or so, when the millennium hit, the human world should be safe.  
  
Providing nothing went wrong.  
  
THE END. 


End file.
